After the Storm
by letterstowords
Summary: Life after the Zzyx has been closed - how much peace will they have before something else happens? You never know when the world could be close to ending again, so use the time wisely. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

******A/N: Hey all, this is my first ever fanfic, so please review! There will be a storyline, but things might seem a little random. Sorry about that.**

**Seth is awesome. But I'll never be able to characterize him the way Brandon Mull does. I wish I could.**

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fablehaven.

Chapter One: Remembering

Seth reclined in a comfortable hammock, hands behind his head. Beside him in adjacent hammocks lay Newel

and Doren, both playing reed pipes. As Seth enjoyed the fact that talking was absent, and he allowed himself

to look back to the past few months.

Was it only last month that the Knights of Dawn were in a race against time to try to stop the demon prison

Zzyx from opening? He ran through all the things he had done to help them – he caught the leprechaun, he

went to the Singings Sisters, and he went to the Totem wall to obtain Vasilis, and he used Vasilis to slay Graulas

once and for all.

It all seemed like a lifetime ago.

While Seth was proud of the things he had accomplished, sometimes he wondered where exactly he mustered

the courage to do some of the things. He had known at that time that it was probable he would die, and yet he

did it anyway. If he hadn't pleased the Singing sisters with his offers, they would have killed him. If he had shown

fear to the Standing Dead behind the Totem Wall, he would have perished. He didn't do these things because

there was no other choice. There was always another choice; to give up. And Seth knew that he would have

never done that.

He wouldn't give up because of Lena, the naiad who sacrificed her life to end the dark plague in Fablehaven.

He wouldn't give up because of Dougan, the bear of a man who was eaten by Navarog, the Demon Prince. Vincent,

who was trapped under ice in the Dreamstone. And lastly, Coulter, who was killed by Graulas when Seth healed

him back at Fablehaven.

No. Giving up would never be a choice for Seth, due to these people. He knew that for certain know.

As Seth finally came to this statement, he realized the music had stopped. Apparently, the satyrs wanted something.

He waited.

"So… Seth." Newel examined his reed pipes. "How are the lovely couple?"

Seth furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

"He means Kendra and Bracken," Doren stated.

"They're good, I guess. I don't really interfere with my sister's personal life, it's getting to mushy now." Seth was

confused. "Why are you asking?"

"Oh, no reason, no reason," Newel said a tad too lightly. "Just out of goodwill, you know?"

"Sure." Okay, now Seth knew there was something weird going on. Satyrs? Goodwill? No way.

The satyrs were silent for a few moments. Seth knew that they would break soon. And he was right.

Doren rolled over to look at him. "Verl stole our TV."

"Doren!" Newel hissed.

"What? Were you going to lie to him?"

Newel glared at Doren, then turned to Seth. "We need your help."

"Starting with that doesn't make much of a difference either, you know."

"Shut up, Doren!"

Seth looked at the satyrs quizzically. "Shouldn't it be really easy to get it back? I mean, Verl's like, a nerd."

Newel pointed his finger at Seth triumphantly. "Exactly! He's a nerd!"

"Which means he does weird things," Doren added unhelpfully.

Seth raised his eyebrow. "Such as?"

"He booby trapped it," Newel scoffed.

"So lame," Doren agreed.

"If you guys are acting so nonchalant about it, why don't you just get it yourselves?" Seth asked.

The satyrs suddenly turned grave. "You don't understand," Newel whispered.

Doren started squirming. "He booby trapped the TV…"

"With razors," Newel finished.

"Sharp razors."

"Sharp, pointy razors."

They both shuddered, and Seth rolled his eyes. "How do you know that? How do I know you're not lying?"

"You think we didn't try?" Doren said indignantly. "Look what they did to me!" He started turning onto his stomach.

"Doren!" Newel cried out, covering his eyes. "There is no need to show us your hairless backside!"

Seth stifled a laugh. Both satyrs glared at him. "You think this is funny?" Newel scowled. "Doren, there is no need to

show him the offer anymore. Let's go." Doren and Newel got up, Doren covering is butt with his hands.

Seth managed to regain his composure. "Look, I'm sorry. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," sniffed Newel. "You have proved to be no – "

"Verl wants Kendra to come with him to the Chara. If she goes, he'll give back the TV." Doren blurted out. Newel

glared at Doren.

Seth sat up. "The Chara? What's that?"

"It's like this massive party. Everyone goes." Doren cleared his throat. "Everyone meaning the satyrs and the hamadryads.

And some fairies." Newel muttered a string of words under his breath, and Seth caught "Doren" and "brain" and "pea".

"A party," Seth mused. "How come I've never heard of it?"

"Well, I guess Stan never told you about it. Magical creatures party too, you know! This one is a celebration of joy, hence the

name." As Doren talked enthusiastically, Newel waved around quotation marks at the word "joy".

Seth frowned. "That sounds a bit boring."

"Oh trust me, it's quite the opposite! There's awesome music, and dancing, and food, and hamadryads _everywhere_, and food…"

Doren trailed off and stared blissfully into the distance.

"Cool," Seth said. "Can I come?"

Doren and Newel exchanged glances. "If you can get Kendra to go with Verl," Doren said.

"But that's nearly impossible!" Seth whined. "She already has a boyfriend!"

Newel shook his head. "No Kendra, no Seth."

"Fine. It's not worth it if it's just a party."

"But we have something else!" Newel said quickly.

"Something in addition to the party," added Doren.

Seth stared back up into the sky. "I'm listening."

Doren got up from his hammock and trotted over to a nearby rock. From behind it he produced a very small wooden box. He

came back, and with a flourish, opened the box. Inside rested a ring.

"Uh, Doren? Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't like guys."

"No, Seth. Watch this." Newel took the ring out of the box and slid it on his ring finger. All of a sudden he was gone.

"Whoa!" Seth fell out of his hammock and stumbled on to his feet. "Where'd he go?"

"I'm still here." Newel's voice sounded out right in front of him. "Just… invisible."

"That is so cool," Seth breathed. In his whole life, he had been invisible in three different ways. One was the glove that Coulter

showed him, but if you moved you were visible. The second was a bracelet he had stolen from a goblin assassin, but it had

disintegrated soon after Seth took it from its owner. The third was shade walking, but that only worked in, well, the shade. Duh.

"Was this from the tar pit?" Seth asked.

Doren nodded. "Yeah. There's a bunch of other stuff we found, but we thought you might like this. It was extremely difficult to

find because it was so tiny."

Seth reached for the ring but Newel snatched it away. "Nuh uh uh. Not until you get Kendra to go to the party with Verl."

Seth crossed his arms. "Then how do I know that thing will work on humans?"

Newel and Doren looked at each other. "Fair enough point." Newel handed the ring over to Seth, who put it on. Nothing happened.

"You have to twist it," said Doren.

Seth twisted the ring. When he looked down, he could still see his body. He looked back at the satyrs, who were still staring at

him. "Can you see me?"

"Nope," Newel said.

How did Seth know whether or not they were lying, so he quietly backed away and moved slightly to the right. The satyrs remained

staring at where Seth used to be until a twig snapped under his foot. Newel looked wildly for him. "If you're thinking about running

away with the ring, there will be serious consequences!" Newel shouted.

Seth twisted the ring again. "No worries. I would never do that."

"On the contrary, you probably would." Newel took back the ring and put it back into the box. "So?"

"That's an awesome ring. I'll get Kendra to come." Although how, Seth had no idea.

Newel and Doren visibly relaxed. "The party's on Thursday. We'll be waiting in front of the yard at

about seven. Bring Kendra. Don't be late."

"Deal." Seth held out his hand, and Newel shook it. Seth heard someone calling him from the house,

and he turned.

"Seth!" Vanessa's head popped through the doorway. "Lunch time."

The satyrs lost their serious composures. "Is that the lovely Vanessa Santoro?" Doren said, hand over

his heart.

Newel began patting down his hair. "Would you like me to accompany you up to the house, Seth?"

Seth grinned. "Nah, I'm good. See you later." With that, he trotted back to the house with the satyrs

looking on.

Newel scowled. "He totally brushed us off."

Doren agreed. They stood together in silence for a few moments.

Doren turned to Newel. "Want to steal some soup? I'm starving."

Newel slapped Doren on the back. "Let's go, man."

Together, arms slung over each other's shoulders, they disappeared into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fablehaven. That honor goes to Brandon Mull.

Chapter Two: Surreal

Kendra could not have pictured a more perfect evening.

The pond was a calm expanse of water, so still that it perfectly reflected the

glittering sky above her. Fairies flitted around flowers, their soft glow even more

noticeable in the darkening night. The air was pleasantly warm; a complete

contrast to the chilly afternoon. As Kendra strolled along the moonlit boardwalk,

she smiled at the best part: She was not alone.

Bracken walked beside her. Kendra contentedly gazed around the peaceful park.

Even the naiads were quiet of their usual bickering. Kendra and Bracken walked

up the steps of a gazebo and stared out to the pond, where the island housed the

new fairy shrine.

Kendra sighed. "This is beautiful."

Bracken turned to her. "Not as beautiful as you."

Kendra's heart began to race. She knew it was a sort of sappy thing to say, but

she was a sucker for those kind of things. Bracken's eyes shone in the moonlight,

and he began to lean in. Kendra closed her eyes.

Nothing happened.

What could have possibly been wrong? Kendra opened her eyes. The person in front

of her was not Bracken. She shrieked. The person, startled, shouted out as well. She

shot up, hitting her head on something hard. "Ow!"

"You're telling me." Seth crawled back into his bed, rubbing his own forehead.

"What were you doing in my bed?" Kendra complained.

"Well," Seth started, smirking, "I was peacefully asleep, when I was suddenly awoken

by the sounds of you saying Pony Man's name, over and over again. _Moaning _them."

Kendra caught herself flushing. "Was not."

"You were. Trust me, you have every right to be embarrassed. I went over to your bed

to try to stop you, like slap you or something. Then you woke up."

Kendra shot her brother a look before turning her back to him. So the whole thing was just

a dream. She couldn't believe it. Then again, maybe she could.

It had been a month since Kendra and Bracken had decided to try a relationship together.

Maybe she was thinking too fast but she was disappointed that other than hugging and

hand holding, almost nothing had happened between them. She groaned.

"Wow, someone doesn't sound to happy. I guess I'd better not ask what that dream was about."

"Shut up, Seth."


	3. Chapter 3

****Disclaimer: I do not own Fablehaven :(

* * *

**Chapter Three: Boredom**

Seth was bored.

He had already finished nearly everything on his daily routine, which generally included

Eating breakfast (dur)

Going for a swim (or having Hugo repeatedly throw him into the pool – even better)

Running through the woods while still sopping wet (squelch, squelch)

Eating lunch while _still _wet _and _dirty (lots of protests)

Taking a shower (parents insist)

Watching the newly fixed Mendigo and Hugo pitch a baseball back and forth (hmm… who will win?)

Spying on the fairies (dangerous because if they caught him, there would be consequences)

Lying on the grass and looking at the sky (hey, everyone needs some quiet time)

Dinner (belch.)

Dinner was still a few hours away. Seth sat on his bed in the attic bouncing a rubber band ball on the wall and

catching it. He glanced over at Kendra, who was sprawled out on her bed, furiously scribbling away in a blank

notebook. Man, that girl hardly left the house anymore, unless it had something to do with Bracken and the Fairy

Queen. Seth missed the ball and it rolled towards Kendra. "What are you doing?" Seth inquired.

"I just thought I would record all the things that we did ever since we got here. You know, like what Patton did,"

Kendra said absent-mindedly, tapping a pencil to her lips.

"Why is it taking you so long? All you have been doing since we got back is write! No wonder Bracken thinks you're

so boring."

Kendra turned to scowl at Seth. "For your information, we had a fair share of adventures here, and they all take a

long time to document. I've already finished our first visit to Fablehaven. See?" She held up another notebook, the

leather binding green. The one she was currently writing in was blue. "But…" Kendra bit her lip. "Does Bracken really

think I'm boring?"

Seth smirked. "All I'm saying is that you should really spend less time cooped up in here."

Kendra sat up. "You know what? I think you're right." She closed the notebook. "Do you want to go swim with me? I

haven't been down to the pool in forever."

"Nah, it's alright. Done that already." Seth sighed, boredom taking over once again. Suddenly he remembered something.

"Kendra!"

Kendra stopped, her towel slung over her shoulder and sunblock in one hand. "Yeah?"

"I was just wondering… would you like to go to a party?"

Kendra frowned. "What do you mean?"

Seth spoke in a rush. "Well, the satyrs invited me and you to a party in the woods and the hamadryads will be there and

so will the fairies and Verl was asking if you could go with him and there will be music and dancing and lots and lots of…

food." Seth inwardly groaned. He shouldn't have mentioned Verl! Now she would never go.

Kendra stood there, a thoughtful expression on her face. "A party? Hmm… seems fun. Count me in." She started down

the stairs.

"Wait…" What was going on? "You'll actually go with… Verl?"

"Yeah." Kendra's voice seemed farther away as she progressed down the stairs. "I mean, just as friends, of course."

"Right." Seth sank back down onto his bed. That was really weird. Kendra was always uncomfortable when Verl was

mentioned. Who wouldn't be? No one exactly knew what kind of things were going on in that satyr's head. But still… Seth

shook his head. This could only mean one thing – things were rough between Kendra and Bracken. Oh well. Seth shrugged.

It worked to his advantage.

"Don't forget to tell Grandpa!" Kendra called out from downstairs.

Seth gasped. Oh, shoot.

So much for a boring day.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I got my very first review! I'm so, so happy. Thank you so much. You just made my day. These next two chapters are dedicated to Lia. THANK YOU!**

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Chapter 3 : The Chara

Kendra stood out on the front lawn with Seth, shivering despite the heavy coat she wore. It had

snowed this morning. A lot. Three inches of snow blanketed the grass, the trees, everything. In the

faint light of the orangey-purple sky the woods looked like something out of a fairytale. She smiled

to herself. She wasn't _too_ far out there.

Beside her, Seth mumbled something about not being able to go through his daily routine. What

daily routine? As far as Kendra knew, all Seth did these days was run around and wreak havoc.

Maybe she really was missing out on a lot of things around here.

Kendra was surprised that Seth had convinced Stan to let them go to the party after all. It was a

small miracle. She wondered what Seth could have possibly said to make Stan cave in. As she thought

of possible reasons, Seth perked up. "There they are!" he pointed.

Newel and Doren trotted out of the trees. They were both wearing sweaters over their normally bare

chests. They were both grinning and shaking snow out of their hair. "Looks like Seth Sorenson kept

his part of the deal," Newel called.

"Wait. What deal?" Kendra interrupted.

Ignoring her, Seth replied, "I hope you have kept yours as well."

"Are you saying we are cheaters?" Doren exclaimed, mock hurt all over his face.

"That was definitely in my head when you two didn't show up on time," said Seth somberly.

"Ah. About that." Newel nudged Doren with his elbow. "We had a few… complications on the way."

Doren grinned. "Snow is satyr's best friend," he said, brushing more of it off of his shirt.

Seth cracked a smile. "Come on. Let's go!"

Seth and the satyrs started towards the woods, leaving a confused and very suspicious Kendra in their

wake. Shaking out of her daze, she followed after them.

"Kendra, Seth, wait!" A familiar voice called out from behind them. They turned and saw Warren and

Vanessa running down the lawn, jackets flying behind them.

"Stan wanted us to supervise. We are coming too," Vanessa announced. Warren panted beside her.

Seth shook his head furiously, but the satyrs didn't even notice.

"Of course," Newel bowed deeply. "Anything for the lovely Ms. Santoro." No one else but Kendra seemed

to notice the grimace from Warren.

As Seth groaned and face-palmed, the satyrs led the group merrily into the woods. They all warmed up to

the satyrs jokes and bantering, and after a few minutes of walking through the snow covered trees, the tall

hedges came into sight. As they passed through the arch that was the entrance to the park, Kendra gasped.

She had never been to

the pond when it was snowing before. Everything was covered in a layer of pristine white snow, except for

the pond itself, and the small island in the middle of it. Kendra imagined how peaceful it would be if she was

here all by herself, or with Bracken.

Of course, peaceful was all but the opposite at the moment.

There was no need for lights. Fairies dazzled their way around the place, their light enough to make the

whole place look festive. Satyrs and hamadryads alike, dozens of them, talked and laughed and danced.

The atmosphere was alight with merriment thanks to the two satyrs and the hamadryad that supplied the

music with drums, a flute, and a ukulele. Kendra was surprised that the musicians made the music sound a

lot like modern pop. A crowd around them shouted and clapped along.

They were all captured by the scene for different reasons. Vanessa surveyed the dancers with a smile on

her lips, Warren tapped his foot in beat with the music, and Seth drooled at the large table heaped with

refreshments.

Kendra gazed longingly at the couples in the gazebos. She wished Bracken was there.

"Come on!" Doren shouted, already starting off for the party. "Don't just stand there! You're blocking the

entrance."

His words broke them out of their trances. Vanessa grabbed Warren's hand and together they squeezed

themselves into the dancing crowd, laughing. Seth made a beeline to the food table as if drawn by a

magnet. Only Kendra was left, unsure of where she fit in.

A voice sounded out behind her. "Hello, Kendra. You are looking as lovely as ever," Verl said with his

usual simpering smile. Kendra noticed he seemed a bit distracted.

Kendra smiled. "Hey, Verl. How are you?"

"Good, good. The same as ever," Verl said, waving a dismissive hand and. "Why don't we go and listen

to the band? They're really good this year." Without waiting for Kendra, he drifted off.

Kendra followed in a daze. Verl's behavior slightly confused her. Normally, whenever Verl knew Kendra was

around, he fidgeted and squirmed nervously, making Kendra uncomfortable. Today, he treated her like a

distant friend. Kendra didn't know what was worse; being over scrutinized or ignored.

They wove their way into the crowd that surrounded the band. The trio were playing a song with a great

beat. Everyone was dancing and clapping.

"Want to dance?" Kendra asked Verl.

"Uh…" _Now_ Verl looked nervous. He kept throwing glances over Kendra's shoulder, and finally Kendra

turned to look. A really pretty hamadryad was dancing alone, and she threw winks at Verl.

Realization dawned on her. "You like her, don't you?"

Verl stared down at his hands. "I'm really sorry, Kendra."

"It's fine, Verl. Really." Kendra tried to smile. "Go dance with her!"

Verl perked up. "Is that really okay with you?" he said hopefully.

"Of course. Go!" Kendra urged. Verl gave her a grateful smile and disappeared into the crowd.

Under normal circumstances, Kendra would have been immensely relieved if Verl had stopped liking her.

He was a cute but annoying puppy who constantly followed her around. But right now, she felt like she

had been punched in the gut. Vying to get away from the crush of people, she walked over to the pond

and into an empty gazebo.

So Verl didn't like her now. Somehow this made her feel insecure. What if Bracken stopped liking her?

Who would she have then?

Kendra hastily wiped a tear that had escaped down her cheek. Wow. She was being so selfish! Was she

really that dependent on guys liking her? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Part of her wanted

to go back and enjoy the party. But a voice in her head told her that she was too upset and that she

should just stay here.

So she sat in the gazebo, with all the music and dancing and laughing distant behind her, and stared into the lake.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, okay. I know. This chapter was sort of depressing. Poor Kendra. I'm just letting you know know that Seth had a much more different experience...**

**I won't update as quickly these days. I'm sorry about that. :(**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Woahh! I'm really sorry about the superlate update! It's been, what, two months? Gosh. I think my writing might**

**have rusted up in that time, so please forgive me if something doesn't seem right.**

Chapter 5: Aisha

Seth knew immediately that it had been a good idea to go light at dinner.

He stared at the long table heaped with platters and platters of food. Everything looked so good, he didn't even care that it was all

vegan. Potatoes mashed, roasted, and fried. Carrots steamed, creamed and cooked. All sorts of soup sat along the table in large silver

tureens. Though they all looked and smelled amazing, his eyes traveled further and further up the table until they found what they

were really looking for.

Dessert.

There was a massive chocolate cake, with frosting so thick and rich Seth could almost taste it as he looked. A smaller but still large

vanilla cake was topped with all sorts of berries. Another cake had already been cut, and Seth could see the marbled inside. Pumpkin,

blueberry, cherry, and apple pies were part of the largest array of pies Seth had ever seen. There were puddings and ice cream, cookies

and biscuits. Seth's eyes landed on a chocolate eclair, and his mouth watered even more. He hadn't had one of those in months! Slowly,

he reached out to it... his hands closed over empty air.

What? He could have sworn there was an eclair there just a few seconds ago. Was he just hallucinating about his favorite food? Seth

stood there, hoping he wasn't going crazy, when he heard a noisy chewing from across the table. He looked up.

A girl leaned against the table, back to him, watching the party. She was wearing a simple white shift that contrasted against her caramel

colored skin. Her long, black hair stirred gently in the breeze. With one hand, she tapped out the beat of the music with her fingernails,

and a chocolate eclair was in the other. As Seth watched, the girl took a humongous bite out of the pastry.

For a long while Seth stared. Thoughts ran through his mind, about saying hello, or telling her that her hair was dangerously close to

the puddings. However, the only thing that came out was, "That's my eclair!"

The girl turned around, and Seth saw her face. Her slanted eyes showed that she had an Oriental background. They pierced Seth

and he could feel heat rays frying his brain. She regarded him coolly. "Last time I checked, it was a free country."

Seth flushed. "No, that's not what I meant, I -" he looked down to his Pumas when he realized he didn't have an explanation.

The girl seemed to read his mind. "Thought so." She popped the rest of the eclair into her mouth. A little part inside of Seth died.

The girl reached across the table and extended her name. "The name's Aisha."

Seth glared at her chocolate smudged mouth, too stubborn to answer or look directly into her eyes. Finally he sighed. "I'm -"

"I know who you are, Seth." Her eyes twinkled as they shook hands. "Everyone here does." As if to back up her statement, two other

hamadryads giggled and waved to him as they walked by.

Seth wanted to smirk at Aisha, cock his eyebrow, and say, "Stalker much?" but for some weird reason, all he could manage was a

feeble smile. What was wrong with him? Seth, the master of all pranks and comebacks, unable to utter a word? She was just a

girl, for god's sake! Well. A really pretty one.

"Hey." Aisha flashed a smile at him. Her teeth seemed extra white against her too-tan-for-February skin. "Wanna dance?" Without

waiting for an answer, she dragged him over to the crush of people moving to the beat. And then she just started dancing right

there in front of him. She caught him staring and laughed, and Seth laughed too. Because he just realized that he had been so

preoccupied with the food that he hadn't noticed how great the music was. And that he was dancing with a girl.

And that he was actually having a great time.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey! Sorry for the really really really late update. I've been annoyingly busy. I don't **

**know when I'll have time to write the next chapter, so I sincerely apologize in advance. As **

**for this chapter - after all that stuff at the party, I decided that Kendra and Seth needed a **

**break. If you were wondering about Bracken, and the new character, Aisha, I'm sorry, but **

**they won't be mentioned here. Kendra and Seth need to have a bit of fun! ;)**

**Thanks for the reviews. I'm horrible with updating, so they are really appreciated! I'm so **

**happy people enjoy what I write. You guys are awesome!**

**Anyways. Back to the story!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Fablehaven :(

Chapter 6: Bookworms and Cold Weather

Kendra sat hunched over the rough wooden table, her finger trailing words and her lips moving, speaking

them soundlessly. As she finished the last sentence of the last page of her book, she sighed with an air of

finality and closed it gently, sitting back. There was always a feeling of peace when you finish a good book,

but also a twinge of disappointment when it was over.

A stack of unread books towered beside her. Grandpa Larsen joked that she plowed through books like a

lawnmower. This might have been the case, but Kendra always saw the need to have plenty at hand, as

they only visited the library in town every three weeks. After the 45 minute drive from Fablehaven to the

nearest town, she returned all of her read books and selected as many new ones the borrowing quota would

allow her. Seth often teased her about this, and earlier today was no different. "Preparing for the apocalypse,

I see?" he had smirked while watching Kendra struggle to stuff the new eight novels into her bag.

"Reading actually might improve your chances of surviving, you know," Kendra had said absent-mindedly,

rummaging through the works of John Green, Cassandra Clare, Jodi Picoult, and a few others.

"I doubt that. Especially with all that lovey dovey stuff you've got there," Seth remarked, nodding his head

towards the bag. "And what if you had borrowed 50 Shades of Grey? Lemme guess. You would learn to kill

zombies by -" Too late he realized his mistake.

Kendra raised an eyebrow. "Seth. How on earth would you know about 50 Shades of Grey?" She didn't know

whether to be amused or disgusted.

Seth had turned a shade of red Kendra never thought had existed. "Uh. I have connections," he muttered lamely.

Kendra started browsing through the selections, remembering titles for the next library visit. "Yes. I don't

suppose Newel and Doren got their hands on a copy."

Seth's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Kendra stifled a laugh, and Seth turned on his heel

and stomped out of the library, pausing only to shout, "Books are for wieners!"

God. He'll never grow up, Kendra thought.

* * *

Kendra stood up and stretched. Outside, the weather was still icy, and snow blanketed the lawn. But inside

the treehouse, it was nice and cozy. The stove hummed in the corner and warmed the small room. There

was one wooden chair and a table, which Kendra was occupying. A small shelf held various board games for

lazy days. The rest of the room was a comfortable mess of bean bags, Indian patterned blankets and throw

rugs. Kendra loved this place, and spent quite a lot of time here. However right now, as she looked at the

small clock on the one of the walls, she realized it was almost lunch time, and her grandparents would be

calling her down soon.

Leaving the books in the neat pile on the table - she would definitely come back to them later - she walked

over to the middle of the floor and opened the trapdoor. A blast of chilly air enveloped her, and she shivered.

Lowering herself through the gap, she grasped the icy rungs nailed to the tree and began to climb down.

_Thwack!_ Kendra shrieked when something freezing cold hit her back hard. She twisted around to see her

brother muffling his snickers into his gloves before ducking behind his crudely made fort of snow.

"Oh, it's _so_ on," Kendra called out, scrambling down the last few rungs. She hit the ground and quickly scooped

up a handful of snow. It numbed her bare hands, but she didn't care. Packing the snow into ammo, she drew

it back and threw it towards her brother. It hit the fort. "Come on out, you wimp!"

In response, another flying missile came out from behind the fort coming towards her. She ducked and it

missed, and she made a few more snowballs. Advancing towards the fort, she warned, "Stop hiding, or I'm

coming for you!" She took a few more steps forward, but didn't have to wait long to see Seth hurry away as

fast as he could, red-nosed and grinning. It wasn't fast enough.

"Gotcha!" Kendra let her snowball fly. It hit her brother squarely in the face. Kendra doubled over laughing as

Seth spluttered and pawed the snow off of his face. Her giggles stopped when something hit her from behind,

and she whipped around to see Vanessa fluttering her fingers at her girlishly before letting out a stream of

snowballs that were dangerously accurate. Now it was Seth laughing.

Warren heard yelling and laughter outside, so he came out of the house to see poor Kendra being pummeled with

snowballs. A big smile spread on his face. "Don't worry Kendra, Warren to the rescue!" he shouted, jumping off

the porch. He ducked from a snowball and threw one back, laughing in satisfaction as he heard it hit his target.

It was war. The air was thick with flying snowballs and peals of laughter. Vanessa was the most deadly, her aim

perfect and hitting the target almost all the time. Warren was going crazy, throwing snowballs at random, so a

lot of them didn't hit others, but because he threw so fast, they were still stuff to watch out for. If a snowball hit

you and made you stagger or maybe even fall from the force, you knew it was Seth's. Kendra preferred the

sneak-up-from-behind strategy.

They had been running around for a good time before they finally became tired. Seth accidentally hit his own

teammate, causing Vanessa to go down laughing. He offered to help her up but she refused, looking up at the

sky. The rest of them did the same, flopping down onto the snow, their breath misting upwards, their bodies

radiating heat. It had begun to snow lightly, and as the flakes drifted down at them, it looked like the sky was

falling. Their heavy panting quieted down, and they lay in a comfortable silence.

That is, until the front door banged open and Grandma Sorenson gasped at the sight of them. "Oh my

goodness! Stan! STAN! I think they've all passed out!"

The four of them looked at each other and burst out laughing again.


End file.
